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U-Turn Signals

Started by DaBigE, January 13, 2013, 12:00:52 AM

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DaBigE

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:08:06 PM
isn't there one state where it's illegal to make a U-turn?  Ohio?  Wisconsin?  I don't remember.

Until 2010, it was illegal to make a U-turn at any signalized intersection in the State of Wisconsin. That law has been amended to coincide with just about every other state where U-turns are legal unless posted otherwise.
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kphoger

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:39:41 PM
Quote from: myosh_tino on March 18, 2013, 03:28:38 PMthe other driver had a green right-turn arrow while I had a green left-turn arrow.

how does one ascertain that this is the situation?  sometimes it is very tricky to note a green arrow which is 90 degrees away (mainly due to traffic light lens hoods)... if I am making a U-turn on a green left arrow, I will assume I have right of way. 

in California, I believe this situation is unambiguous: there are no green right arrows for intersections which allow a U-turn for the corresponding left movement.  if there is a No U-turn for the left, then and only then will you find a green right arrow.  to the best of my knowledge, anyway.

You know, I frequently find myself wondering why a given intersection doesn't include a right green arrow when left turn arrows are included for cross traffic.  Now I have a possible explanation to assuage my grumbling!  Thank you.
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1995hoo

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:39:41 PM
Quote from: myosh_tino on March 18, 2013, 03:28:38 PMthe other driver had a green right-turn arrow while I had a green left-turn arrow.

how does one ascertain that this is the situation?  sometimes it is very tricky to note a green arrow which is 90 degrees away (mainly due to traffic light lens hoods)... if I am making a U-turn on a green left arrow, I will assume I have right of way. 

in California, I believe this situation is unambiguous: there are no green right arrows for intersections which allow a U-turn for the corresponding left movement.  if there is a No U-turn for the left, then and only then will you find a green right arrow.  to the best of my knowledge, anyway.

One possible way to tell is if there's the presence of a sign like the one I described earlier on an off-ramp: "U-Turn Yield to Right Turn." Problem is, the average driver coming off the Interstate with a green light is probably unlikely to notice a sign like that. He's quite understandably focused on making the U-turn instead of looking at the signs. The system you describe of not using a green right arrow if there's a U-turn allowed on a green left arrow seems more sensible to me.

Here's a Street View of the sign I mentioned, though it's viewed from the other side of the median because the same-side image is obstructed by a truck. A person making a U-turn from the left lane facing that sign comes into conflict with drivers turning right on a green arrow (coming from the camera's left at the angle I've linked), hence the sign. There's a lot of U-turning traffic at that particular spot for some reason that's never been apparent to me, though I suspect a lot of it is people who got lost or missed their exit in the nearby Springfield Interchange and are heading back to try again.

(The sign on the far right in that Street View says "Right Turn on Red This Lane Only" with an arrow pointing to the curb lane. That lane also gets a green arrow for its right turn, but the U-turn conflict doesn't occur due to a U-turn prohibition from the two left turn lanes on the far side there....and I've never seen anyone ignore that particular "No U-Turn" sign, either.)
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

myosh_tino

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:39:41 PM
Quote from: myosh_tino on March 18, 2013, 03:28:38 PMthe other driver had a green right-turn arrow while I had a green left-turn arrow.

how does one ascertain that this is the situation?  sometimes it is very tricky to note a green arrow which is 90 degrees away (mainly due to traffic light lens hoods)... if I am making a U-turn on a green left arrow, I will assume I have right of way. 
In my case, the only reason why I know cross traffic had a green right-turn arrow was because after almost getting hit, I instinctively look for the cross-traffic signal and that's when I saw the green right arrow.  My normal thinking is u-turns are allowed unless I see a No U-Turn sign but apparently there are states that do not allow u-turns unless there are signs permitting them.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:39:41 PM
in California, I believe this situation is unambiguous: there are no green right arrows for intersections which allow a U-turn for the corresponding left movement.  if there is a No U-turn for the left, then and only then will you find a green right arrow.  to the best of my knowledge, anyway.
From my personal observations, your statement is 100% spot-on in California.
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#29
Quote from: NE2 on March 18, 2013, 01:53:43 PM
I've also seen "right turn on red yield to U-turn".
They are signed like that where there are frequent U-turns.  MUTCD sign R10-30

roadfro

Quote from: myosh_tino on March 18, 2013, 04:31:02 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:39:41 PM
in California, I believe this situation is unambiguous: there are no green right arrows for intersections which allow a U-turn for the corresponding left movement.  if there is a No U-turn for the left, then and only then will you find a green right arrow.  to the best of my knowledge, anyway.
From my personal observations, your statement is 100% spot-on in California.
The statement is also spot-on with 100% of my observations in Nevada.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

jwags

Quote from: DaBigE on March 18, 2013, 03:43:23 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 18, 2013, 03:08:06 PM
isn't there one state where it's illegal to make a U-turn?  Ohio?  Wisconsin?  I don't remember.

Until 2010, it was illegal to make a U-turn at any signalized intersection in the State of Wisconsin. That law has been amended to coincide with just about every other state where U-turns are legal unless posted otherwise.

In Wisconsin it was also illegal to make a U-turn at any unsignalized intersection that was one intersection from a signalized one.

Takumi

Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

swbrotha100

Anthem, Arizona (in the Phoenix area) will have one activated this month:

http://www.mcdot.maricopa.gov/news/2013/gavilan-peak-pkwy-signal.htm

Revive 755

Managed to get a picture of the flashing yellow U-Turn signals on SB WI 100:



The sign on the far side of the intersection reads "U-Turn yield to oncoming traffic;" I would have expected "U-Turn yield on flashing yellow arrow."

Signal

Uturn lenses have been around since the 70s or earlier. The oldest one I've seen/heard of is this,
(not my picture)
a prototype signal used at a Winnipeg mall intersection in the 70s.

Currently, there are many varieties of u-turn arrows still in use, because the MUTCD did not make a standard arrow until 2009.
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part4/fig4d_01_longdesc.htm


In the US, Diaglight is the only company I know of that makes (MUTCD standard) uturn signal lenses.
http://www.dialight.com/Assets/Brochures_And_Catalogs/Signaling/MDTMUTM001.pdf

U turn arrows signals are a rare find in the US. They are more common overseas.


Some examples:

Ocean City, MD. Doghouse styles. These lenses are non-MUTCD-compliant LED lenses. This is my video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpQtee6mg1M&list=PLBLwBo-2_YrXMa2TbTc5FQdPd7JXFOlHR&index=1



Las Vegas:

3-section protected left signal. These are MUTCD standard LED lenses.
https://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=36.13041,-115.165947&spn=0.002184,0.00284&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=36.130523,-115.165867&panoid=OIqR965JQX1HBN2cpwguaw&cbp=12,13.93,,2,-4.13
5-section (inline & doghouse). These are MUTCD standard LED lenses.
https://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=36.108087,-115.183488&spn=0.002197,0.00284&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=36.108084,-115.183382&panoid=FIhVsRhU0QQQVk-NI7vQjA&cbp=12,270.16,,1,-2.53

Ian

Here's a brand new U-Turn signal along Naamans Road (DE 92) in northern Delaware...




First one I've seen in person!
UMaine graduate, former PennDOT employee, new SoCal resident.
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Central Avenue

Are there two U-turn lanes, or was the second signal just added for the sake of redundancy?
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signalman

It's merely a redundant signal.   It's standard DELDot practice to use a redundant signal for a single lane left turn or U turn bay.  Personally, I like the idea. 

1995hoo

I like the idea of a redundant signal that's far enough to one side to be visible if you're stuck behind a big truck or SUV or other vehicle that prevents you from seeing the light–especially if the driver of said vehicle is a member of the breed of jerks who fiddle with electronic devices instead of watching the light.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: Ian on August 10, 2013, 07:27:40 PM
Here's a brand new U-Turn signal along Naamans Road (DE 92) in northern Delaware...



First one I've seen in person!

The right green U-turn arrow is slightly crooked. 

Since DE doesn't normally place traffic lights on side poles, I'm fine with the redundancy above the lane.  If one was in this lane, the 2 signal heads would look more normal.  In this pic you can't see the lane itself, making the lights look like they hover over two lanes.

M3019C LPS20

Quote from: Revive 755 on August 03, 2013, 11:00:44 PM
Managed to get a picture of the flashing yellow U-Turn signals on SB WI 100:



The sign on the far side of the intersection reads "U-Turn yield to oncoming traffic;" I would have expected "U-Turn yield on flashing yellow arrow."

That's a first for me.

Nice find.

cpzilliacus

There are U-turn yellow and green aspects at the signal on eastbound Md. 198 (Sandy Spring Road) at McKnew Road in Burtonsville, Montgomery County (GSV here, but the U Turn signals are not visible).
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Takumi

Side road signage for a U-turn signal. This is from SR 655 at VA 10 in Chesterfield.


Edit: actually including the image would help...
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

1995hoo

I kind of like that sign Takumi posted because, while every driver is supposed to know you have to yield when turning on red because you have a red light, many (perhaps most) drivers think they're entitled to turn on red. I see a lot of that at a particular intersection in Alexandria where there's a high volume of U-turns due to a mid-block McDonald's. People making the U-turn on the green arrow are supposed to have the right of way, but a lot of them seem to think they should yield to the right-on-red crowd, which in turn just holds up everyone behind the U-turners who are trying to turn left.

I was so astonished when I saw a right-turner actually yield (not at the same intersection with the McDonald's, BTW) that I saved the video. In this case there's a community center with a swimming pool and tennis courts out of the picture to the right and the SUV driver was most likely going there, though it would have been easier for her just to turn left and then turn left again behind where my car was stopped. (Click to play video. The yielder is the black BMW that appears to my right.) The funny thing is, the lady making the U-turn tried to wave him through, but he did the right thing and got out of the way.

"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Alex

Saw my first u-turn signal in Florida today on US 19 north at Seville Boulevard (Pinellas County). This set of signals is temporary in nature due to the project to upgrade US 19 to a freeway.



Click the photo for the full view.

Revive 755

Dusting off this thread . . .

Going through the August Letting plan sets, it appears Illinois may get its first U-Turn arrows on US 14 between Crystal Lake and Woodstock.  Certainly the first time I've seen them used in a five section tower.
http://eplan.dot.il.gov/desenv/080114/62268-047/PLANS/11x17-080114-66268-047-688-448.pdf

Though for some reason, in an adjacent project on US 14, standard left turn arrows are being used instead of U-Turn arrows.
http://eplan.dot.il.gov/desenv/080114/62517-048/PLANS/11x17-080114-62517-048-450-297.pdf
http://eplan.dot.il.gov/desenv/080114/62517-048/PLANS/11x17-080114-62517-048-450-298.pdf

WNYroadgeek

NY 33 has a few in front of the Buffalo airport. Here's one of them as an example: http://goo.gl/maps/wf1Vl

jakeroot

There's a few near Frederickson, WA. The signal below is hung via wire, and (this) one is attached to a gantry, just a few miles away:


Alex4897

Here's a doghouse variation of one in Ocean City, MD, on MD 528 at 33rd St.



I don't have a picture of it in action, so this screen grab will have to do.
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